murder 1 of 2

murder

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word murder distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of murder are assassinate, dispatch, execute, kill, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When could assassinate be used to replace murder?

Although the words assassinate and murder have much in common, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When might dispatch be a better fit than murder?

The words dispatch and murder can be used in similar contexts, but dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

Where would execute be a reasonable alternative to murder?

In some situations, the words execute and murder are roughly equivalent. However, execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

When would kill be a good substitute for murder?

While in some cases nearly identical to murder, kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

When is it sensible to use slay instead of murder?

While the synonyms slay and murder are close in meaning, slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of murder
Noun
Sutton was the first D.C. police officer to be convicted of murder for conduct while on duty. Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 24 Jan. 2025 Evan Greene, 32, of Richmond, was charged with murder and gun possession in the Jan. 14 killing of 23-year-old Jerome Hunter. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
Most people know the end of the story of Selena Quintanilla, the pop star who brought Tejano music to the mainstream before she was tragically murdered at the age of 23. Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025 Shepard was murdered in 1998 in what is still one of the most high-profile hate crime cases in U.S. history, but his parents held onto his ashes for 20 years out of fear his gravesite might be vandalized. Samantha Riedel, Them, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for murder 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murder
Noun
  • Title nightmare On a recent morning, Wade Clark stood in front of the shell of what used to be his home in Clearwater.
    Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
  • But the fairytale turns into a nightmare when Ivan’s handler (Karren Karagulian) and henchman (Yura Borisov) enter the picture.
    Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Anyone with information about the death of the bar patron Saturday night can contact the Sheriff’s Office’s homicide unit at 858-285-6330 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Wiggins faces a homicide charge, and his girlfriend faces charges of burglary and being an accessory after the fact, online jail records show.
    Michael McGough, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Garfield was assassinated by a disgruntled and delusional office-seeker named Charles Guiteau.
    Mo Rocca, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2025
  • The mountain’s name will revert to Mount McKinley, named for William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, who was assassinated on September 14, 1901.
    Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Now, contrast that to the recent experience of Ravens tight end Mark Andrews who, as every devoted local football fan will recall, both fumbled and dropped a crucial two-point conversion pass in a must-win playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
    Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Like Fuhrman, many were nervous about teachers fumbling over technology and classmates not paying attention.
    Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Muhammed was found guilty of multiple counts of torture, felony child abuse and false imprisonment, among others.
    Elaine Aradillas, People.com, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Instead, there’s a different kind of torture — walls dotted with inspirational posters.
    Erin Qualey, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Some investigators also believe he was involved in the slaying of 8-year-old Ann Marie Burr, who went missing on Aug. 31, 1961, near the University of Puget Sound.
    Jessica Sager, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025
  • In 2018, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged Misch, who was in prison on an 18-years-to-life sentence in another slaying, with killing the two women, police said.
    Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Putin cannot slay inflation because Russian interest rates are already at a whopping 21%, and the Russian ruble is collapsing.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025
  • With Mikko camped out to his right midway through the second stanza, Makar beat DeSmith glove-side with a wrister from the blue line for his 100th career goal, slaying the Avs’ power-play dragon and becoming the fastest active defenseman in the NHL to hit the century mark as a pro.
    Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Is this a lot of hocus pocus or a computational paradigm that might blow current capabilities out of the water and make NVDA look like, well, Intel of prior years?
    Vineer Bhansali, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The Eagles defense also uncharacteristically blew several coverages in Week 16, including on two of Daniels’ five touchdown passes.
    Ted Nguyen, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near murder

Cite this Entry

“Murder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murder. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on murder

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!